Chapter 15 - The Fallout
The news of Eleanor’s arrest hit the extended family like a bomb.
Her mugshot—hair wild, eyes furious—was published in the local police blotter. The pristine, wealthy matriarch of the Davis family had been booked for a violent altercation in a pediatrician's parking lot.
Aunt Susan, the primary flying monkey, called Liam’s phone in a panic.
For the first time, Liam didn’t ignore the call. He answered.
“Liam, this is an absolute tragedy!” Susan cried. “Your mother is facing jail time! You have to drop the charges. This will ruin her reputation at the country club!”
“Aunt Susan,” Liam said calmly. “My mother attacked my wife and child in a parking lot. If she had tried that with a stranger, she’d be in jail. Why does she get a free pass because we share DNA?”
“She’s family, Liam! You protect family!”
“No,” Liam corrected her. “You protect the vulnerable. You hold abusers accountable. My mother is a violent, unhinged woman. And if you continue to defend her, it tells me exactly who you are, too.”
Susan stammered, unable to formulate a manipulative response.
May you like
“Don't ever call this number again,” Liam said, and hung up.
One by one, the extended relatives began to distance themselves from Eleanor. Without Liam around to act as her emotional punching bag, her toxic behavior bled out onto her sisters and friends. Within six months, the grand dining room where she used to host her opulent, controlling feasts was entirely empty.
